The Duchess of Sussex has spoken about the pressures of social media during a conversation with mental health advocates in New Zealand.

During a tour of the country with Prince Harry, Meghan Markle visited the Maranui café in Wellington where she talked to staff and volunteers from a number of initiatives including Live For Tomorrow, an organisation focused on reaching youth with messages of hope and positive change.

“Young people find it so difficult,” she said.

“You see photos on social media and you don’t know whether she’s born with it or maybe it’s a filter.

“Your judgement of your sense of self-worth becomes really skewed when it’s all based on likes.”

The Duke added: “Issues stemming from social media and gaming are a major problem for young people in the UK — and globally.

“Fingers are often pointed at the parents but that’s not always fair as they too need to be educated about these things.”

_________________“As man advances in civilization, and small tribes are united into larger communities, the simplest reason would tell each individual that he ought to extend his social instincts and sympathies to all members of the same nation, though personally unknown to him. This point being once reached, there is only an artificial barrier to prevent his sympathies extending to the men of all nations and races.”